Man City dethroned Newcastle, securing a place in the League Cup final.

With a clear advantage from their 2-0 victory away at Newcastle in the first leg of the semi-final, manager Pep Guardiola boldly made several changes to the starting lineup for the return match on the morning of February 5th, with the intention of resting key Man City players in preparation for the crucial clash against Liverpool this weekend in the Premier League.

The chilly weather in Manchester seemed to dampen the spirits of the Newcastle players, and they were soon overwhelmed by the home side's relentless attacking pressure. Just seven minutes into the game, Omar Marmoush opened the scoring after a quick one-two pass into the penalty area. A challenge from center-back Dan Burn inadvertently deflected the ball, sending it over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale's head and straight into the net, giving the home team the lead.

Newcastle tried to push forward in response but were met with a focused defense and the solid performance of goalkeeper James Trafford, who repeatedly denied chances from Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon.

Before the visitors could regain control of the game, Man City delivered the finishing blow. In the 29th minute, from a cross from the right wing by Antoine Semenyo, the Newcastle defense failed to clear the ball decisively, allowing Omar Marmoush to head it into the net from close range, completing his brace.

Just three minutes later, the lead was extended to three goals, making the aggregate score 5-0 by the 32nd minute of the second leg of the semi-final. Dan Burn once again became Newcastle's "villain" when his tackle inadvertently became a perfect pass for Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutch midfielder didn't miss the opportunity, finishing neatly and virtually sealing the match in the first half.

Having conceded three goals in quick succession, Newcastle suffered another blow just before halftime when Anthony Gordon had to leave the field due to injury. Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton are both sidelined with injuries, leaving Newcastle with little to rely on.

In the second half, the visitors made several substitutions and played with more determination. Yoane Wissa missed a golden opportunity shortly after coming on, while Harvey Barnes had a chance to put the ball into the net against Man City but it was disallowed due to offside in the preceding play. Newcastle's efforts were only partially rewarded when Anthony Elanga made a daring run and curled a skillful shot that hit the post and went into the net, reducing the score to 1-3 in the 62nd minute.

For the remainder of the match, Man City deliberately slowed down the pace but still created more opportunities. Marmoush had a chance to complete a hat-trick but his shot went over the bar, while substitute Erling Haaland was denied by goalkeeper Ramsdale on two chances at the end of the game.

A convincing 5-1 aggregate victory propelled Man City into the League Cup final with a significantly rested squad, keeping their hopes alive of challenging for the Premier League title. Newcastle were officially dethroned after the second leg of the semi-final, extending their dismal run of form with 12 consecutive defeats at Man City's ground across all competitions.